Walking around New
Orleans Square, you may have noticed a stunning
staircase leading to a destination you can just tell is very special and exclusive,
and that’s exactly what it is. If you’re
thinking a grand staircase must lead to a grand place, you’d be thinking right! On June 13, 2009, I had the opportunity
to ascend that staircase with my daughters and take a tour of the Disneyland
Dream Suite. How did we get so lucky as to gain entry into one of the most
exclusive dwellings in the world? Easy, “We knew a guy!” Blake, one of Get Away Today’s reservation specialists,
won a night in the suite for being one of our top agents. Since my daughters
and I were at the Disneyland®
Resort at the time of his stay, he was kind enough to allow us to take a tour of
the flat and enjoy the creativity and nostalgia you only find with Disney!
Just walking up the curved staircase to the balcony above
Pirates of the Caribbean makes you feel uniquely
special and filled with anticipation. In order to go inside, you must be buzzed
in by either a Disney cast member assigned to the suite that day or the guest
staying in the suite. We were happy to see the door open as we reached the top
of the stairs.
We were in awe and wide-eyed from the moment we crossed the
threshold. Christian and Kevin were the cast members assigned to attend to the
needs of Blake and his family that afternoon. They had just given them a
private tour of the suite, and were now very willing to do the same for us and
answer our questions. We started where we stood—in the living room.
If you are a lover of Blue and White china, you will adore
this room. Inspired by, and following as closely as possible, the Dorthea
Redmond renderings in addition to a small Blue and White vase, this room is the
epitome of a French provincial formal living room with a pinch of Disney added
for good measure, of course. Blue and white are the prevailing colors for the
décor. Two beautiful, hand painted murals of European castles are to your left
as you walk in the door. Both the Austrian castle on the left and the French chateau
on the right inspired Sleeping Beauty’s Castle found in the heart of Disneyland®. Looking up, you see a
breathtakingly beautiful glass chandelier with hundreds of sparkling blue and
clear glass crystals. Looking across the room, you see a whimsical,
free-standing, merry-go-round horse like those found on the Fantasy Land
Carousel.
The fanciful fireplace filled with Disney magic is located
to the right of the entry door. The fireplace screen is a custom made
silhouette of Sleeping Beauty’s castle, which is repeated on the ceiling of the
fireplace as well. In keeping with the Disney panache, “Disney fire” safely
flames behind the screen and every few minutes, the flame will spark, setting
off “fireworks” bursting to life over the castle spires and cascading down,
just like you’d see in the Disney night sky.
Any way you look at it, entrance into the Disneyland Dream
Suite is the perfect introduction to the fun and beauty that awaits you as you
explore room after room. My only wish after my short tour is that I could have
sat, relaxed and had a little more time to take it all in. I will be posting
more articles on my “suite” visit in the next few days and weeks. Be sure to
check back!
